Sometimes you want to try something new but you just aren’t quite sure what to do. I had a lovely new packet of dried mango sitting on the cupboard. It is, of course, delicious as it is or mixed into our trail mix, and it would give great flavour to a loaf, and add a nice dimension to a lunchtime salad, but I was feeling a little lazy and wanted something a bit fun.
I looked over to the pile of craft supplies sitting on the kitchen cupboard (do you have one of those), and saw a bar of dark chocolate for a recipe I haven’t yet made. Hmmm. Perhaps this was an idea.
We didn’t have a lot of time, but this wouldn’t take too long.
The children wanted to help, too. Excellent! So let’s do it!
Kallista was a bit sniffly and she was thoughtful and didn’t want to pass on her germs so she watched Tristan break up half of the the bar of dark chocolate (Tristan has a dairy allergy but if we purchase high-quality dark chocolate it doesn’t have milk in it) and placed it in a microwave-safe bowl.
We put it in the microwave and heated it up, just about 10 seconds at a time so it didn’t burn. There’s nothing worse than burnt chocolate. That smell is awful, not to mention the waste. We found that dark chocolate takes longer to melt than milk chocolate.
When the chocolate was melted, Tristan picked up pieces of the dried mango slices and dipped them into the melted chocolate. He used the back of a teaspoon to smooth it out. He didn’t dip the entire slice; he kept a ‘handle’ on the mango to make it easier to hold, and it also gives some interest and colour contrast to the treats.
After dipping, the slices were placed on some grease-proof paper/wax paper and placed in the fridge to harden up. Once they’re firm you can remove them from the fridge and not worry about them melting at room temperature. I had promised Kallista that she could have a little of the left over chocolate for being thoughtful and calm about not handling the mango while she wasn’t at her best. Tristan had a touch, too, for his hard work.
Tristan removed the mango slices from the wax paper and arranged them on a plate for presentation. He was surprised that the chocolate didn’t stick to the wax paper; but that’s why we used it.
Then it was finally time to try them out. Everyone chose a slice and had a bite.
The verdict?
Delicious!
Sweet, but balanced with the slight bitterness of dark chocolate. Contrasting colours and tastes. Small but mighty. They were as easy to eat as they were to make.
These little chocolate dipped dried mango delights will be making it onto our menu again in the future; the children will be sure to remind me of that! These were gone before I knew it and when I asked where they’d disappeared to, the children quickly pointed in Dad’s direction!
